A number of timepiece module assemblies having electrooptical displays and associated switches and contacts have been developed in order to reduce cost and the number of components facilitate manufacture and assembly and improve the reliability of the timepiece.
In the use of electronic timepieces, particularly, multifunction digital watches, it is necessary to have switches which enable the user of the watch to select the desired display function, or to set the information being displayed or to illuminate the display by activating lighting means. In the past, electronic watches have often employed one or more push-button switches to control the watch functions. The push-buttons switches are forced against electrical switch contacts within the timepiece module in order to institute changes in timekeeping function. The switch contacts are independent of and do not support the timepiece battery. Typical prior art push-button and associated contacts are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,212 issued to Zellweger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,607 issued to Feurer, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,002 issued to Wuthrich as well as others.
The following patents also disclose aspects of the module assembly pertinent to the embodiments of the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,334 issued to Uchida shows a front frame member molded to receive an electrooptical display whereas a rear frame member is molded to receive a battery. U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,166 issued to Hutchinson shows a lead frame having a plurality of fingers wire bonded at one end to an integrated circuit chip and extending at the other ends to form resilient spring contacts. Various other components of module assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,696 issued to Ikuta, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,629 issued to Nishimura, U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,705 issued to Iinuma.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to simultaneously provide a switch plate through which the user is permitted to select the desired display function and that also supports the timepiece battery within the timepiece module.
Another object of the invention is to provide a switch plate that permits electrical connection of at least one terminal of the battery through the switch plate battery support to the integrated circuit chip which controls the timepiece operation.